Complete Antarctica: Fly In, Sail Out

Arrive in Punta Arenas, a southern city in Chile and a common gateway to Antarctica. After lunch, check in at Hotel Cabo de Hornos and meet the ground team for pre-departure preparations. In the afternoon, meet other travelers and the expedition team. Get fitted for boots and a parka, complete biosecurity procedures for expedition gear, and attend briefings on Antarctic guidelines, Zodiac landings, and the next day’s travel schedule. Dinner is served at the Faro Lounge restaurant, featuring regional Patagonian dishes.

After breakfast, prepare and transfer to Punta Arenas airport for a charter flight across the Drake Passage. During the flight, icebergs may be visible as the aircraft approaches King George Island, one of the northernmost islands of Antarctica. Land on the gravel runway, where the expedition team assists with the transfer to Ocean Nova. After boarding, attend a required safety briefing and drill. The vessel then departs south.

Welcome to Antarctica in all its awe-inspiring glory. For the next few days, you maneuver through picturesque channels, where sculpted icebergs and an array of captivating wildlife share these dynamic waters. This is your opportunity to become more intimately acquainted with Antarctica by Zodiac, kayak, snowshoe, or while spending unhurried time ashore, taking in the silence and scale of the landscape. For those participating in the Citizen Science program, the important work of understanding and documenting this fragile environment continues. Prepare to be amazed as you encounter numerous species of penguins, seals, and whales, both along the rugged coastline and in open waters. With opportunities to visit penguin colonies and historic landing sites, you take full advantage of all the White Continent has to offer.

Over time, volcanic activity in the South Shetland Islands has created a geology unlike any other. Here, you can expect a spectacular display of mountains, glaciers, and wildlife, including Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins. It’s also not uncommon to share the shoreline with elephant and fur seals, while whales are often spotted offshore. You settle into your Zodiacs and spend your final day in Antarctica exploring these remarkable islands.

Join the Polar Experts as they share their extensive knowledge of Antarctica, from its enchanting wildlife to its bold history. Participate in the pioneering Citizen Science program or sit back and take in this fabled journey while catching glimpses of rarely seen wildlife. Keep your binoculars handy to identify the many seabirds that escort the ship as it crosses the Antarctic Convergence into Atlantic waters and temperatures begin to rise.

On the final day of the expedition, you arrive beneath the peaks of Ushuaia, Earth’s southernmost city and capital of Argentine Tierra del Fuego. After a hearty breakfast and a fond farewell to the Expedition Team, officers, and crew of Ocean Nova, you disembark in the morning, either to begin your journey home or continue your adventures in Patagonia.